Pocket Wilderness Programs
The concept:
What is “Pocket Wilderness?”
Wilderness can be found everywhere! Whether your nearest “pocket of wilderness” is the limestone creek bottoms of City of Austin parks or the peaks & pines of higher climes, we will teach you to recreate in the outdoors well, commune with the God of Creation, & get the most out of your time while you’re out there.
Led by Summit Outdoor Leadership guides who are independent affiliates of Solid Rock Outdoor Ministries Pocket Wilderness Guide training program.
Three types of Pocket Wilderness programs:
Day Trips & Excursions
These range from meet-ups to explore public parks to outings focused on specific outdoor recreation skills, such as rock climbing or paddling. Day Trips & Excursions are a great way to dip your toe in the water or follow through with a plan to embrace a lifestyle of healthy rhythms.
Pocket Wilderness Weekends (PW-W)
Set aside an entire weekend to escape the chaos & busy-ness of life. At 3 days/2 nights, these programs will help you unplug, catch your breath, & learn to encounter God in His creation. We discuss what it means to set up healthy rhythms in your own life that will support your ongoing spiritual, mental, & physical health after you leave the weekend.
Pocket Wilderness Intensives (PW-I)
PWI are for people ready to GO DEEPER. They are a dedicated period of time, typically 4 or 5 days (3 or 4 nights). All will involve tent camping (some may require backpacking). We say that the 4-night version is an intentional 96-hours of reconnecting with God in His beautiful creation, being sharpened by others, & developing actionable plans for the staying in rhythm. We dive into the less-practiced spiritual disciplines of silence & solitude & practice them with solo times that increase in length over the course.
What will I experience on a Pocket Wilderness Program?
What can I expect?
1. RETREAT & REST
It’s healthy & important to take a periodically withdraw from the hustle & bustle of everyday life. When we step away from the distractions & noise of the world, we hear ourselves, one another, & the voice of God more clearly. It’s a chance to put things into perspective.
A slower pace of day is also a chance to rest & recuperate.
2. RECONNECT WITH THE GOD OF CREATION
SUMMIT Pocket Wilderness programs start by taking a look at Psalm 19, where David talks about God revealing Himself in two ways: His incredible Creation & His trustworthy & valuable Word. Taking this as our approach, both teaching sessions & independent “solo” time focus on immersion in nature & the Bible.
3. RESET HEALTHY RHYTHMS
We’ll talk about what it looks like for you specifically to live life in balance, then develop a plan to make that reality when you get back to “real life.”
4. RELATIONSHIPS
The goal of every PW program is to develop a community that will help you with accountability & a support network.
What people have said about Pocket Wilderness
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“I joined Summit on the Pocket Wilderness they held in October. I was very impressed with the program! The staff are very passionate, very knowledgeable and made it a really great time! I learned a lot and loved the trip. Looking forward to more experiences with Summit!!!”
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“I went on the pocket wilderness intesive camp out for 4 days and 3 nights. I met many guys who were seekinging to assess past and current life and learn how to take the next step in conjuction with minimalistic style camping education. I had some expectations going in but came out with something very different. I think it is a good thing that I was challenged and sharing struggles that we have in our lives. It was a great reset experience.”
Click to see the upcoming Pocket Wilderness programs.